So absolute was the trust in their preacher's prophesy that there are reports from all over that many people sold ALL their belongings or squandered ALL their wealth on a last hurrah. Clearly they could not even imagine a sunny day after the prophesied “rains,” and felt it a god-given(?) opportunity to 'give to the establishment' how they obviously felt they had received.
I have a problem with that. How can someone suspend their imagination so completely to not even question a 'what if'? Well now the 'establishment' has them by the short and curlies and they'll probably end up getting what they had hoped to give.
I think the Bible said (it has been quoted enough times in the missionary school that I had attended in my youth) “do unto others, what you expect others to do unto you.” I guess in the haste, some of the followers the of good preacher lost the true meaning of the prophesy – repent, spend time in prayer, slow down, etc, etc.
Despite the difficulty they find themselves in, one can hope that these people can see the funny side of it (if they don't, they can ask their rational neighbours).
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I have a set of five rules that I slavishly follow about trusting people. They are pretty self evident if you think about them, but sadly few people actually do. The list below has worked wonders for me and has helped me keep my priorities straight and my mind in order. They follow in reverse order:
5. Age has nothing to do with it: A person does not win my trust just he or she is older or appears more seasoned. A deep sound does not necessarily hold a sound tune.
4. To listen doesn't mean to follow: While it is always important to listen to a point of view (even a seemingly opposing one), I am not of the opinion that my attention belies my allegiance. Therefore I can listen with a clear mind, and harbour no guilt whatsoever if I feel I cannot subscribe.
3. No one shares information for the love they feel: This might seem a bit cynical, but NO ONE shares information without an agenda. Even a priest's preaching of devotion and the welfare of my afterlife, is only fuelled by his hoping for brownie points from the maker for passing on the 'good word.' Of course just because there is always an agenda it does not mean that it is always sinister.
2. Reason BEFORE respect: The good lord has provided each one of us a mind to use for ourselves, all arguments, no matter how compelling, must be screened through our own set of values. To borrow a cliché, “if it's too good to be true, it probably is.” Granted it is just sometimes hard to look away; more so if it looks towards unsolicited gains. It is always good to remember everything we pick up as our own has a price somewhere along the line.
1. Trust your instinct first: We are all animals first. And like all animals we have an inborn instinct that prompts us to act to save ourselves first. However, as we become more civilised we overlook such baser responses in the interest of 'love for all.' In my mind, if there is a hint of doubt and an alarm bell goes off, there may be a reason. As a rule people 'full of it,' give off an stink that the nose may not quite catch but tickles the sixth sense in all of us.
4. To listen doesn't mean to follow: While it is always important to listen to a point of view (even a seemingly opposing one), I am not of the opinion that my attention belies my allegiance. Therefore I can listen with a clear mind, and harbour no guilt whatsoever if I feel I cannot subscribe.
3. No one shares information for the love they feel: This might seem a bit cynical, but NO ONE shares information without an agenda. Even a priest's preaching of devotion and the welfare of my afterlife, is only fuelled by his hoping for brownie points from the maker for passing on the 'good word.' Of course just because there is always an agenda it does not mean that it is always sinister.
2. Reason BEFORE respect: The good lord has provided each one of us a mind to use for ourselves, all arguments, no matter how compelling, must be screened through our own set of values. To borrow a cliché, “if it's too good to be true, it probably is.” Granted it is just sometimes hard to look away; more so if it looks towards unsolicited gains. It is always good to remember everything we pick up as our own has a price somewhere along the line.
1. Trust your instinct first: We are all animals first. And like all animals we have an inborn instinct that prompts us to act to save ourselves first. However, as we become more civilised we overlook such baser responses in the interest of 'love for all.' In my mind, if there is a hint of doubt and an alarm bell goes off, there may be a reason. As a rule people 'full of it,' give off an stink that the nose may not quite catch but tickles the sixth sense in all of us.
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The faithful of California might have benefited more by relying on my set of rules than they have the good preacher's prophesies; but then the misguided flock had missed the point of the sermons anyway.
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